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Gary Stewart 21st Century Learning, Advocacy for change, Building Inclusion, Curriculum Planning, Inclusion, Inspiring Students, Social Justice, Student Ownership, Students as Teachers

Selecting Culturally Relevant and Responsive Resources

Culturally relevant and responsive resources come from a pedagogy that empowers the educator to think differently by addressing dominant ideologies as well as existing and historical oppressions in actionable ways that engages our learners in critical consciousness thinking that inspire change. Gone (or should be gone) are the days when we, as teachers, solely rely on teacher’s guides to develop our lesson plans and units. Don’t get me wrong, teacher’s guides can be very beneficial when planning out a unit, but we must embed the identities and learning needs of all our students ahead of printed resources. Taking time to get to know your students and embedding their lived experiences, using culturally relevant and responsive resources, will create a much more engaging learning environment and thereby improve student success. 

 

Culturally relevant and responsive pedagogy also looks at how race, gender, class, sexual orientation and ability intersect to create lived experiences for our students and how those experiences play out in the classroom and in society. The concept of intersectionality is part of an inclusive approach to teaching and can be incorporated into all aspects of the curriculum. Regardless of the subject, the identities and needs of students must drive the teaching practices and strategies in the learning environment. Students get to see their whole self being represented in their learning and are thereby empowered to challenge inequities and demand change. 

 

In order for this kind of change to be imagined, educators must first create brave spaces, rather than safe spaces, for learners to openly and freely speak their truth and pose critical questions. One that doesn’t create judgments based on identity or experience, but rather one that builds courage, individually and collectively, to address challenging and controversial issues. Brave spaces take time, collaboration, commitment and willingness to be open and vulnerable in front of others, something that is hard for most people to do, teachers and students alike.

 

Another important factor to consider is the idea of intent vs impact. As we plan our lessons/activities, lead discussions and interact with others, we need to be conscious and mindful of the impact of our actions on others. Sometimes, perhaps without knowing,  the intention of our actions have a negative impact on the person(s) receiving/absorbing the information or actions. Why does this keep happening in our society? Why are individuals not mindful or aware of the impact of their actions? In my opinion, embedded in the intent is the oppression and isms that are systemic in nature and play out in our society’s norms and practices. Therefore, we often see our actions as “normal” instead of something that can be hurtful, uncomfortable or oppressive to someone else. I am reminded of one of my favourite words of wisdom (not sure of the original author):

“Be mindful of your thoughts, as they become your words;

Be mindful of your words, as they become your actions;

Be mindful of your actions, as they become your habits;

Be mindful of your habits, as they become your character;

Be mindful of your character, as it becomes your destiny.”  

 

Some things to consider when choosing culturally relevant and responsive resources:

– who are the students in your classroom and how are their identities and lived experiences reflected in the learning environment and in your teaching practices?

– students can be co-collaborator (part of the decision-making process) of the resources selected for the classroom

– choose books/resources that best represent the different aspects of student identity and lived experiences

– encourage students to challenge stereotypes, prejudices, biases, barriers and oppression

– provide opportunities for students to take action to address critical issues that impact their daily lives

As you learn about your students’ identities, intersectionality, goals and real-time experiences, consider how all that information can be used to inform your curriculum planning, your teaching practices and the resources/topics you share/address with students.

 

When selecting books and other resources, consider asking yourself the following questions:

–  Whose perspective is this text written from?

– Whose ideologies are at the center of discussion in this resource?

– Are the perspectives, beliefs and identities of the author or developer aligned with the big ideas shared in the resource?

– Does the resource actually reflect student’s abilities, social identities and lived experiences?

– Does the resource reinforce, perpetuate or highlight stereotypes or misrepresentations of specific groups and identities?

– If so, in what ways might you address these inequities? 

 

Once you have chosen your books/resources, create rich, culturally relevant and intentional questions that invoke critical thinking in students and empowers them to take action to command change. 

There are many resources you can access to support your planning. Most Boards have (or should have) a list of culturally relevant and responsive teaching resources. Your local newspapers (you might be able to subscribe to get electronic copies) often write articles on relevant issues and current events. You can subscribe to magazines, such as What In The World, that focus on current events and global issues. And of course, ETFO has a list of culturally relevant and responsive resources at your fingertip. There is a Social Justice page with resources that address Anti-Oppression, Anti-Racism, Anti-Asian Racism, Anti-Black Racism, Antisemitism, Islamophobia, Women’s issues, 2SLGBTQ+, First Nation, Metis and Inuit, Climate Change and Disability Programs. I also have a small list of digital books and resources that might be of interest to you. Just a few things to get you started. Remember, your planning pedagogy begins and ends with the hearts and minds of the students in your classroom.

Stephanie C General

Diversifying your Curriculum Content

As a music teacher, the past 2 years have certainly been eye-opening as to the content I have teaching within my arts program. It has been eye-opening to see that some of the songs I am learning to be educated about in terms of racial insensitivities were ones that have been listed in music songbooks and sung around campfires for years.  However, I am naturally committed to insuring the elimination of curriculum violence in all of the subjects I teach. So, how does one go about this long overdue and necessary task?

I started by examining the content I had included for years. Were there other examples that could be presented from a variety of perspectives? I now include teaching the Nutcracker unit with the inclusion of Duke Ellington’s Nutcracker Suite to show students how jazz and classical music can come together.  This gives an opportunity for students to have a critical thinking opportunity to see how musicians can infuse a piece of music to give a more inclusive representation of ideas while maintaining the original creation.  I also looked at examples of the ballet that included Black, Indigenous, People of Colour (BIPOC) dancers to demonstrate that the arts are continuing to change to allow opportunities for performers of multicultural backgrounds to achieve their dreams and showcase their talents.

Next was looking at the examples I included in my arts presentations.  Students attended a virtual concert from Indigenous duo, Twin Flames in Canada and examined some of Notorious Cree’s Tik Tok dances.  They were able to connect the infusion of the past and present with examining real world examples of why we say the land acknowledgement every day as well as learning to appreciate the similarities and differences in the arts from a variety of cultures.

Finally, I continue to look at resources in my spare time such as documentary specials or books that highlight a variety of people challenging the stereotypes of what it means to be a member of a community, such as basketball superfan Nav Bhatia or the first coder Ada Lovelace.  As libraries both public or in schools re-examine the content that students have access to, it is imperative that we as educators work together in looking at our pre-conceived notions we bring to our teachings.  

Arianna Lambert Literacy, Technology, Use of Technology

Infographics – Hands on Learning With Technology

In my timetable this year, there are periods where I work with teachers and students around the use of technology. Excitingly, over the last month or so, I’ve had the opportunity to partner with a Grade 4 teacher, to consider the skills that would be important for students to know at this grade level. In this class, students have 1-to-1 technology and we were pretty excited to help students further develop their proficiency. Our board uses Google and we thought we would start with exploring Slides to see what students might create. 

While there are many different ways of learning to use Google Slides, we thought it would be fun for students to jump right in and play. There really is nothing like being a part of the experience, rather than watching someone tell you how to use a tool. As such, we decided to adapt a Google Scavenger Hunt that was shared online by Caitlin Tucker some time ago. While we thought we would fly through the scavenger hunt in a session or two, we realized that we really needed more time to make sure that students were able to play and discover as they were guided.  Since the Google Suite for Education Tools are so similar, we also wanted to make sure that students were able to transfer their skills from one tool to the next. Navigating from Slides to Docs, students quickly realized that the similarities in the menus in each of the tabs and the toolbar. 

Students were also learning about infographics with their teacher and once finished, they had the opportunity to create their own infographics on any topic of interest. Students learned that infographics are visuals used to easily represent information or data. They learned that they could have charts or diagrams to display information or images that would help the reader understand in a deeper way. We took some time to explore infographics found online and in magazines and quickly realized that they have key features:

  • Titles and subheadings
  • Clearly organized information 
  • Important statistics
  • Bold or bright colours are used to capture the attention of the audience
  • Graphics and images that stand out and draw the reader in

Before creating their own, we wanted students to use the Explore feature to conduct research and we also had a brief mini-lesson on how to cite information. Students quickly understood the importance of rephrasing the learning from websites but also making sure that they credit the author of the information they are using. They were so eager to start.  From Snakes to countries of family origin to cute pets and Fornite, students created some incredible infographics, helping their readers to understand the topics in a clear way. It was clear that the skills that we learned during the scavenger hunt were being put into use now when it was their turn to create. 

I’m so grateful to have had the time to collaborate with this teacher because it gave us the opportunity to sit and consider what skills we wanted students to walk away having learned and how we could facilitate the learning of these skills in a meaningful way. Pausing and supporting students in learning how to effectively use technology is so important. Moving forward, I know that I will continue to ask and consider “the why?” behind using technology and whether or not students have been supported in learning how to use the tool prior to expecting them to complete a task.

Stephanie C 21st Century Learning, e-learning, General, Media Literacy, Remote Learning, Use of Technology, Using technology well

Media Sites for Students: www.cbc.ca/kids

Throughout the past year, particularly online, I am always looking for ways to include meaningful media content for my students. While researching coding, I came across content on www.cbc.ca/kids that I found very useful in terms of the following categories:

*Articles: the content is kid friendly in terms of the language and includes serious topics in a way that doesn’t get into graphic details (such as reconciliation). The students enjoyed seeing examples of technology around the world and there are many topics that are searchable, from “Arts” to multicultural celebrations. Plus, you know that the site is reputable with its content which is important for kids nowadays to assess the accuracy of their digital sources. There are many Canadian focused articles as well as content from around the world.

*Videos and Quizzes/polls: if you are looking for a more interactive experience, search through various topics and find mini questionnaires like “would you rather” and multiple choice trivia. Last year one student was so excited about the video game quiz he called over his dad on the Meet and they both had a blast playing along with their “old school” and “Gen Z” knowledge.

*Games: there are a variety of simple computer games that don’t require downloading or apps that students even young primaries can navigate: in fact, we explore this every week with the online kindergarten class. The games are organized by categories such as puzzles or strategy and even have a three star rating system for students to communicate their thoughts. We also used the games in coding to discuss how simple they would be to create. There are even seasonal selections for different celebrations, including non-denominational ones such as build a digital snowman. Once again, the games are safe in terms of content, lack of needing to sign in with an account which is sometimes an issue with finding internet games online.

If I could change one thing about the site, it is that there doesn’t appear to be a French language option to include students from the FSL program. But all in all, this is a great resource for students of all elementary grades (and a good resource to have on hand in the event of an emergency supply day, or an afternoon where students need some down time while still following the curriculum before the break).

Arianna Lambert General, self reflection

In Solidarity

We’ve all heard the phrase or received the emails signing off by saying, “In solidarity”. Over the last little while, I’ve been thinking of what it really means to be in solidarity with others, particularly educators. A quick Google search will reveal that solidarity is defined as “unity or agreement of feeling or action, especially among individuals with a common interest; mutual support within a group”. While I know that as educators, we are passionate with regard to our common interest of having a collective agreement that is fair and beneficial to members, I wonder how much further we are really willing to take this idea of solidarity? In this post, I’m picking apart this definition of solidarity and asking educators to reflect.

Unity or Agreement of Feeling or Action

Immediately, this had me thinking about those who feel safe within the school space and those who do not. How do you feel walking into your school and being your authentic self on a daily basis? Sit with that question for a minute. What are the first few emotions that came to mind? Now I know that we are in times that are challenging as we are navigating a pandemic. So many may think that they are tired or overwhelmed but I want you for a minute to consider what you may normally feel when you walk into your building. For some, it may feel great, in that you have a colleague or two that you can connect with or plan with. What happens if you don’t feel this way? What happens if you are feeling isolated because you have chosen to stand up against the status quo? What happens if you are on the receiving end of daily microaggressions? It’s in these moments when you realized that there are possibly a variety of groups who are in unity or agreement of feeling but that there is not one universal feeling when it comes to education. This might be considered a microcosm of the world but in a profession where this word is so often uttered, I wonder how we might come together for true unity. School historically hasn’t been safe or welcoming for many. In spite of policies and procedures in place, many still struggle to enter with a common feeling and we haven’t even dug into the actions yet. 

Among Individuals With a Common Interest

As teachers, what is our common interest? I would offer that it should be ALL of our students and ensuring that there are conditions available for them to succeed. If the success of all of our students is the goal, why is there such a dissonance when it comes to hearing what is needed and us being able to act accordingly? If we know that some are achieving while others are not, then shouldn’t we all be commonly interested in ensuring that we do whatever it takes to support those who aren’t? Many are eager to reflect on and change practice but it’s sometimes scary to see the push back and dare I say abuse that comes to facilitators of learning spaces when educators are asked to reflect and grow. How can we in good faith possibly call our students to do better when we ourselves aren’t willing to? What is our common interest in education? Is it student-centred? 

Mutual Support Within a Group

What does mutual support look like within a group? 

It looks like people being able to freely show up as they are without fear of being dehumanized but rather supported within their workspace.

It looks like having the opportunity to collaborate with others and respectfully dialogue about how best to meet the needs of students so that students are given opportunities to thrive within the school environment. 

It looks like rather than sending a message or calling after witnessing harm, people speaking up for one another so that the harm doesn’t continue to occur. 

It looks like everyone doing their part and being respected for what they bring. 

How do we show mutual support within our school communities? As I mentioned before, we are all going through challenging times. Many of us are tired and burnt out. How do we show up for and support each other through the challenge? I’m not talking about having fun and doing special days. Those are problematic and superficial at best. But how do we really show up for one another so that we can do right by our students? That’s really what I am interested in finding out. 

What are the ways in which we can show up for our colleagues in order to ensure that our common interest – students – are centred and we are unified in taking action? The next time you utter the phrase or send the email with “In solidarity” in your signature, please consider what it actually means and whether or not you truly are in solidarity with the person on the receiving end of your “greeting”.

Melissa Turnbull 2SLGBTQ+, Advocacy for change, Equity, Gender, Gender Equity, Social Justice

#16Days

November 25-December 10 is internationally known as the 16 days of activism to stand against and commit to ending gender-based violence. Black women and girls, FNMI women and girls, racialized women and girls, women and girls with disabilities and members of the 2SLGBTQIA+ community are at high risk of gender-based violence. November 25 is International Day for the Elimination of Violence Against Women and December 10 is World Human Rights Day. Let’s amplify the voices of those who are subject to gender-based violence, listen, learn, and demand safety, inclusion and acceptance for all. Let’s begin these conversations in our classrooms. ETFO has provided some ideas here about how to get yourself and your students involved in the #16days of activism. 

The significance of the activism this year is greater than ever before due to the increasing amount of gender-based violence reported over the course of the pandemic. 

Gender-based violence facts 

Gender-based violence both directly and indirectly affects everyone. Victims of gender-based violence experience trauma that can be intergenerational in nature. To eradicate gender-based violence we must acknowledge it exists and victimizes people of all genders, races, abilities, sexualities, ages and classes in all geographic locations. We cannot advocate for feminism without intersectionality. 

What can we do?

  • Educate our students and community about gender-based violence from a trauma informed approach 
  • Educate even our youngest learners about the importance of consent and advocating for their own mental health and well-being
  • Listen and learn from experts, community organizations and survivors
  • Support local and global initiatives that commit to advocating for people of all genders and putting an end to gender based-violence 
  • Use our privilege as educators to advocate for change
  • Continue to model acceptance, inclusion and teach using an anti-oppressive framework
Will Gourley Celebrating Success, Challenging Topics, Communication Tools, Communication with Parents and Guardians, General, Homework, Interviews, Report Cards, self reflection

parents and guardians

There are numerous allies in education outside of our schools. Parents and guardians are always at the top of the list. To reframe a quote, “they are our partners in education”. In other, perhaps more ominous words, everything we do in the classroom is linked inextricably to them and their children – good, bad, or otherwise. No pressure there, eh?

When I started out as a teacher, I had to learn the delicate dance of dealing with parents. Coming from a media, sales, and entrepreneurial background, prior to education, provided me with a mix of no nonsense and conversational finesse. Perhaps, the number of kilometres on my life odometer have made interactions with parents and guardians different for me compared to my chronologically younger colleagues. I noticed that even though we started out at the same time, our experiences from our first parent conferences back in the day were quite different. This is still happening today, 12 years later as I try to mentor teachers new to their roles in schools. 

Was and is my age a factor ? What about my gender? What about my privilege of being a white-cis male too? Yup, yup, and double-yup.

At first I found it odd that families saw me as more experienced based only on their visual assumptions? I never hid my rookie status from families. Yet, I witnessed how some younger teachers seemed to be second guessed by some parents/guardians for no perceivable reason other than their youth even though they had the same experience as me. I can guarantee you that most of them could teach circles and other shapes around me.

Seeing this year after year proved that this was not an uncommon occurence in education. In subsequent years, I felt strongly about making sure teachers would rally together in support of our new team members on staff by ensuring that there is a supportive structure around them. I know it’s called NTIP, but I never recall meetings with parents and guardians as high on the learning priority list. For me, this focus is also extended to all faculty of education students. It is important that they get a chance to be present when possible for meetings too. 

the set-up

Looking back, it may have been the way I front loaded communication prior to those meetings? For my part, I have always believed that the student is the best agenda. I have always expected them to share their days and responsibilites with the adults at home in their lives. I have also learned that an agenda can be conveniently lost or recycled at the most interesting times.

When I was given my first homeroom, I made sure to let parents know what they could expect in terms of communication forms and frequency. As such, even though students had agendas they were expected to fill them as they saw fit throughout the day. This year I chose not to ask for agendas for my grade 4/5 class which left some parents a bit uncomfortable. A colleague solved that issue by cutting an 80 page writing book in half. Voilà, an agenda is born.

It is important to remember that it is your class and you need to manage it in terms that work best for you. Consider it as a differentiation of sorts. Gardner would be proud. 

I prefer to communicate with adults at home in a more corporate manner via email. This is mostly due to my atrocious penmanship skills. My hand moves too slowly for my brain. Typing has allowed me to find the goldilocks zone for my brain and body. Parents and guardians receive updates about classroom events such as what is being learnt and any assessments that might be coming home or upcoming.

I also use my emails to families as a method of letting parents know how hard their students are working and that I appreciate their support. This medium of communication has always been effective for me. 

If you are fan of agendas then the answer is built into your instructional day already as students copy down what is on the board to take home each night. I see the value of developing the fine motor skills of younger students by printing, but am also aware that this can be an incredible instructional time suck. With the rise of digital classroom spaces (G**gle et al) many of the daily notices can be shared online without daily delay which would give time for other fine motor skills practice anyway.

I also believe that students can come to loathe the activity if they struggle with printing/cursive writing like I do. Communication does not have to be daily. See my above where I mentioned how students can be the conversational conduits of their school days instead of a series of disconnected written prompts that require explanation anyway. This brings me to my next point about how frequently educators need to share with families, but that will have to wait until my next post because there might be some stories and opinions to share that would make this read a bit too much like a long note home in an agenda. 

 

Nilmini Ratwatte Building Inclusion, Diverse Learning Needs, Making a Difference Through Education, Professional Learning and Growth

Mentoring Moments: Shifting Power Dynamics in the Education System

In Canada, we embrace the beautiful cultures of the world, the languages and heritages of many cultures that make us unique! What our country can show the world is that DIFFERENCES make us the face of the new Global World, which is our Strength and what we have to offer each and every country.

It is also our biggest strength in education to be able to teach how to maintain peace, be united and show togetherness in times of challenge as we accept the historic past that has brought us together in this beautiful homeland called Canada.

We have strength in our united education workers that work together: we need to advocate for togetherness to build a strong education system that is resilient to changes that  will make it stronger.

Here was a bit about my educational perspectives from the private education I received in Sri Lanka to the public education I received in Canada from the Educational Blog from Doug Peterson Interview that I wanted to share that helped me reflect. He first connected me to my Professional Learning Network when I was new to Twitter and it has been an honour to stay connected!

Shift the Power and make it purposeful

Here is the story behind the cakes! They are special to me…my parents always made us cakes for our birthdays and I have always loved cakes in the family. Celebrations have brought the family together: and this was my last Birthday cake – Ah! Bring on those super powers for the feminist and the males who advocate for women’s rights…We can make a difference in the world.

  1. Advocate for your Students (Make that special Cake to celebrate that you are here!)

  • Teach with the whole child in mind
  • Differentiate for success
  • Each child they bring their best to your classroom
  • Modify and accommodate lessons for it to personalized
  • Let’s student lead the pace and discussion
  • You lead the curriculum and teaching goals

  1. Change your thinking as an Educator (The ingredients in the cake that you pick that makes that cake your making delicious but unique since all the differences are important)

Hold yourself accountable in knowing you are human and you are a life long learner

  • Learn about Equity concepts
  • Know that there is discrimination
  • Understand micro aggressions
  • Be Anti-Racist Educator
  • Teach about isms explicitly with purpose
  1. Ableism
  2. Classism
  3. Ageism
  4. Religion as an ism
  5. Racism
  6. Homophobia/Heterosexism
  7. Sexism

  1. Build Relationships with your community (The “icing” that makes that cake delicious that adds the perfect touch with that sparkle!)

  • Have courageous conversations about the topics that really matter
  • Embrace differences and find common ground in solutions
  • Create safe spaces for discussions that are inclusive and welcoming

Always remember we teach other peoples children, our biggest resource as a community. It is the next generation, they are important these children that we educate and let’s make a difference by teaching them to be the best they can be!

Reflection: What is the one thing you will do to make a difference as we unite education workers, students and parents to create a good education system that embraces diversity ? You can make a difference.

Yours in Education,

Nilmini

References:

Teach Better Team: Let’s Talk Equity Twitter Chat Link 

 

Gillian Wassmansdorf Challenging Topics, First Nations, Indigenous Perspectives, Making a Difference Through Education, Social Justice, Truth and Reconciliation

Pushing the Wet’suwet’en conversation forward

I am inspired by students’ reflections and discussions about current events around the world, and especially last week as we learned about the arrests of land defenders and journalists on Wet’suwet’en territory. We talked about what it means for land to be unceded, and we learned that the Supreme Court confirmed through the Delgamuukw case in 1997 that the Wet’suwet’en had not given up title to their land in Northern British Columbia. Here is what we captured during our learning:

Image

During discussion, one of my students asked an incredible question that caught me off guard: “I thought the Supreme Court was the most important place where decisions are made, and that no one can change their decisions. Why is all of this still happening even after the case in 1997?” 

Despite thinking that I had done enough research on the issue of the Coastal GasLink pipeline passing through Wet’suwet’en land, I did not have an answer for her at that moment. I asked myself: What are the gaps in my understanding of this issue that would leave me without an answer to this question?

I spent some time finding the answer:

  • While the Supreme Court did confirm the hereditary chiefs’ right to the land and sole authority to sanction development on Wet’suwet’en territory based on pre-colonial law, there were unresolved issues regarding the divisions of power between hereditary chiefs and band councils. The band council system is imposed under the Indian Act (which falls under Canadian law) to facilitate nation-to-nation relationships, but is not recognized under pre-colonial laws and structures used by the nation’s hereditary chiefs.
  • Coastal GasLink claims that all necessary permits were acquired in order to build the pipeline, but the hereditary chiefs of the Wet’suwet’en First Nation argue that they never gave express consent to build on the territory. There seems to be a loophole through which Coastal GasLink got approval for the pipeline because they negotiated an agreement with the Wet’suwet’en elected band council. This is all fine and good if we’re talking about Canadian laws and structures but Wet’suwet’en First Nation is unceded land, meaning that the land is meant to be self-governed under pre-colonial law by the hereditary chiefs (which is also recognized in Section 35 of the Constitution).

I’m happy I spent the time to find an answer to my student’s question; I learned so much and feel much better equipped to continue the conversation. Even still, I have some thoughts about how else I can move forward through the rest of this year and grow as an educator in this area. How can I constantly push myself to find the answers? How can I continue teaching about Indigenous right to self-government and sovereignty, especially on unceded land?

I teach Grade 6, so I try my best to bring these issues back to the heart of what is most important to those most affected. In this case, a commonality in what I read is that the water on Wet’suwet’en land is of utmost importance. “You could swim in that lake and just open your mouth and drink the water, it’s so pristine, and the river is so clear that you can see these very deep spawning beds that the salmon have been returning to for thousands of years,” Sleydo’ says. Whether or not a student understands the legal or historical significance of a conflict like Wet’suwet’en, they will understand the importance of clean water and a thriving ecosystem. Perhaps this fundamental understanding of what is most important could be something that brings groups together to move towards reconciliation.

Tammy Axt General

Knitting, Crocheting and Loom Knitting

With three weeks left until the winter break, it is a great time to introduce a new project to help us remain calm and carefree. For many people, knitting is used as a relaxing pastime to calm emotions and focus energy and I have seen it have a great impact at school. I currently work with 25 students at my middle school on developing knitting, crocheting, and loom knitting skills once a week. Some students are also working on designing their own patterns and projects. The hour and a half that we knit is a relaxing and calm sanctuary in a very hectic week for both staff and students.

I took up knitting very randomly about a decade ago when I decided to knit a Dr. Who scarf for my partner. For those that are not fans of the long running TV show, it was a pretty unusual first project. The scarf is incredibly long and a fairly big project for a beginner! Although, my mother, sister and grandmother all had a long history of knitting, I had never started. With YouTube to help, I taught myself the first three stiches and away I went. Miraculously, the scarf was completed, and I was pleased with the result and never looked back. Since then, I have knit a variety of projects and have passed on the love of knitting to my students. It really helps me refocus my anxious energy and gives me a sense of accomplishment which is how I hope my students feel as well.

Every year, I also instruct my class in knitting, crocheting and loom knitting as an art project. When I was preparing the first time to introduce the artform to my class, I realized very quickly that there was a problem. The majority of the instructional videos on YouTube and other platforms did not reflect the gender, race, culture or age of my students. I also tried to buy knitting magazines and books but ran into similar problems. According to a New York Times article about Black Female Knitters and the history of racism in knitting “After scrolling through nearly 1,400 images of paintings and photos of people knitting on Google Arts and Culture, Ms. Kern found only two who were Black.” One of the images was of Sojourner Truth seen here: (https://www.nytimes.com/2021/03/05/style/knitting-hobby-black-women.html)

My students were fairly skeptical about this new artform as it seemed no one they could relate to did crocheting or knitting. Then along came Jonah Larson. A couple of years ago, a young man named Jonah Larson became famous for his unbelievable speed at crocheting! (I wish I could crochet at half the speed he does) I now use some of his instructional videos and interviews in class to change the way that the history of crocheting and knitting is being presented. He is young American who was adopted from Ethiopia. His talent is incredible and inspiring and my students really enjoy his videos. A couple of his videos are here:

If you would like to try knitting or crocheting with your class you will need a few items to get started:

A crochet hook/a loom/knitting needles (For students that struggle with hand-eye coordination, loom knitting is probably the best choice)

Scissors

A couple of darning needles for the whole class

A ball of yarn per person

Some technology devices to watch instructional videos.

 

No matter what materials your students have access to, the best project to start with is a facecloth. There are thousands of patterns online for knitting, crocheting, loom knitting and hand knitting a facecloth that your class can use to get started. At the beginning, there may be a lot of frustration and the students will need to have a lot of perseverance. I encourage students to work as a collaborative team and get up, move around and help each other until all students are successful. As mentioned above, for students that you may anticipate having challenges with fine motor skills, my experience has been that loom knitting can be very successful.

Ultimately, teaching a skill that students may use in the future to help with anxiety and stress can be an important tool for their future happiness.

Happy knitting and crocheting!!